Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

Chapter 158 A Bountiful Harvest at the Exhibition

Wang Zhenguo's thunderous and high-profile support was like a depth charge dropped on the already scorching sea of ​​the SNEC exhibition. The resulting waves spread rapidly outwards from the Kirin Technology booth.

As the morning light of the final day illuminated the exhibition hall's massive glass dome once more, a vibrant energy, distinct from the previous day, enveloped the Qilin booth.

Yesterday, visitors were mostly driven by curiosity and scrutiny; today, many have come with a specific purpose.

Many of the faces were new, but their eyes shone with a similar light.

It was an eagerness to find solutions, an excitement to discover potential value gaps, and an anxiety to avoid falling behind in possible industrial shifts.

The exhibition opened at nine o'clock in the morning, and the area in front of the Qilin booth was already packed with people.

The meeting space, which was sufficient yesterday, felt cramped today. Business cards fluttered down like autumn leaves, and the three acrylic business card holders that Zhao Haichuan had carefully prepared were all gone before 10 a.m.

We had to hastily contact someone to produce a batch of simple business cards, which were quickly snapped up. Registration forms went through one after another, the handwriting gradually becoming messy, but the information recorded became more and more specific and substantial.

"Mr. Jiang, it's a pleasure to meet you! We are a photovoltaic accessory factory in Cixi, Zhejiang Province, specializing in auxiliary consumables and supporting services for silicon wafer processing." A middle-aged man with dark skin, wearing a polo shirt, squeezed to the front and spoke very quickly.

"We are extremely impressed with the performance data of your diamond wire, and more importantly, its cost advantage! Several small and medium-sized silicon wafer manufacturers we serve are struggling to survive due to the high cost of wire. Could you arrange a visit to our factory as soon as possible, or send your technical team for in-depth discussions?"

"We want to see the possibility of actually implementing the product!" His eyes shone with urgency, a testament to the clear path to cost reduction and efficiency improvement he had found.

Before he could finish speaking, another hand holding a recording pen reached out from the side.

"Hello Mr. Jiang, I'm Zhou Min, a reporter from the New Energy section of China Industry News. Yesterday, Chairman Wang from Keelung's remarks were quite a bombshell for the photovoltaic industry!" A capable-looking female reporter wearing black-rimmed glasses seized the opportunity to speak.

"We'd like to schedule an exclusive interview with you, not only to discuss your technological breakthroughs, but also to talk about the story behind your team's entrepreneurial journey, and your thoughts on how domestically produced high-end equipment can break through the 'bottleneck' areas."

"When would be a convenient time for you after the exhibition ends?" Her question astutely pointed to industry sentiment and contemporary narrative, which are crucial for brand building.

Almost simultaneously, a man in a well-tailored suit, exuding an air more akin to someone from the financial world, looked at Jiang Haoran with a slightly scrutinizing but undisguised gaze, and handed him his business card: "Mr. Jiang, we are partners at Shandong Mingxin Capital, primarily focusing on hard technology and early-mover advantage in creating new growth sectors."

"We had already marked the name of Kirin Technology during our internal discussions last week, and its performance at this exhibition has exceeded our expectations."

"If I may ask, has your company already started or is planning to start a new round of financing? We are very interested in supporting the growth of companies with core technologies that can solve real industry pain points, and we hope to have the opportunity to sit down and have an in-depth discussion."

Capital is always the first to spot signs of value growth.

"Mr. Jiang, I'm from an equipment distributor in Suzhou, mainly dealing in imported cutting equipment. I'm wondering if your company is currently considering developing a network of agents or distributors? We are very interested in securing the agency rights for the Yangtze River Delta region!"

A man who looked like a distributor raised his hand, trying to attract attention.

Inquiries, invitations, cooperation intentions, investment explorations, and channel requests—from the upstream and downstream of the industry, from the media spotlight, from the evaluation room of capital, and from the network of channels, they surge in from all directions like rivers flowing into the sea.

Jiang Haoran, Gu Qiushi, Wang Qiming, and Zhao Haichuan were as if they had been suddenly thrown into a high-speed centrifuge, almost "drowned" by the dense flow of information and interpersonal interactions.

They had to divide the work simply: Jiang Haoran was mainly responsible for dealing with important potential clients and the media; Gu Qiushi and Wang Qiming handled inquiries about technical details and took turns operating the demo unit; Zhao Haichuan was responsible for receiving general inquiries, collecting information, and arranging follow-up communications.

Even so, everyone was still parched and overwhelmed with requests.

All the technical brochures and detailed white papers brought to the booth were snapped up before noon.

Even the silicon wafers that had been kept in the constant temperature sample cabinet to demonstrate the cutting effect were "borrowed" by several extremely persistent customer representatives who claimed they "wanted to go back and examine them again with our own laboratory's atomic force microscope and SEM (scanning electron microscope)," almost using both soft and hard tactics.

Wang Zhenguo's "real and substantial" endorsement of Keelung Corporation demonstrated its exemplary effect and creditworthiness to the fullest extent at this moment.

For small and medium-sized silicon wafer companies struggling between survival and development, eager to reduce costs and increase efficiency through technological innovation, yet fearful of unknown risks, Wang Zhenguo's public support, a veteran in the industry known for his "shrewdness, pragmatism, and never taking a loss," is like a reassurance, greatly alleviating their concerns.

"Even someone like Old Wang from Keelung, who doesn't act until he sees a clear benefit, dared to place an order with such a large sum of money, so this thing is at least 80% reliable."

"Old Wang has a sharp eye for technology. The fact that he dared to use it means that this diamond wire really hit the nail on the head."

Similar private discussions quietly spread throughout the exhibition hall, transforming into an even stronger attraction.

Even in the local area of ​​the exhibition, the technical directors and purchasing managers of two fairly large medium-sized silicon wafer companies came together.

After an hour-long, interrogation-style exchange with Gu Qiushi, which covered a large number of specific working parameters and extreme test requirements, he immediately expressed a clear intention to conduct a trial. Although the initial demand he proposed could not compare with the scale of Keelung's "ten lines" and was not as generous as Keelung Corporation, it was still quite sincere.

In addition to direct customer interest, attention from upstream and downstream sectors of the industry chain has also followed.

Specialty steel wire suppliers, micronized powder material manufacturers, and cutting fluid companies—all keenly sensed the new business opportunity and came to—

Cooperation negotiations are possible.

One company specializing in industrial automation integration even proposed a joint development project with Kirin Technology to upgrade diamond wire cutting to be more intelligent and data-driven.

The media's cameras and microphones created another dense spectacle.

In addition to a few industry media outlets that had made prior appointments, many more financial media, technology media, and even reporters from local television stations arrived after hearing the news, surrounding the booth in layers.

The flashbulbs went off every now and then, and the interview recorder almost poked Jiang Haoran in the face.

The questions range from technical details to entrepreneurial journeys, from industry trends to the passion for domestic production, covering everything.

Jiang Haoran maintained a high level of focus and amazing patience, capturing the core of each problem in a noisy environment.

He responded with clear, concise, focused, and insightful language, neither exaggerating the hardships to gain sympathy nor engaging in empty talk about ideals that are detached from reality, firmly anchoring the image of Kirin Technology on the foundation of "solid technology, authentic data, and pragmatic value".

It was 4 p.m., one hour before the exhibition officially closed.

The sustained high-intensity reception was like the final stage of a marathon, pushing everyone's physical and mental limits. The surging crowd in front of the booth finally showed signs of slowing down, but many people were still making the most of their last moments to engage in conversation.

Jiang Haoran finally got a brief respite. He leaned against the cabinet where the materials were stored, took a bottle of mineral water that Zhao Haichuan squeezed over to hand him, unscrewed the cap, and tilted his head back to gulp down more than half of the bottle in one go.

The cool liquid slid down my burning throat, bringing a refreshing sting.

"President Jiang," Zhao Haichuan's voice trembled with excitement as he held several thick registers in his hands, "Preliminary—"

Preliminary statistics are in! Over the three days of the exhibition, we collected over 600 valid business cards and detailed registration information!

He licked his dry lips and continued his report, his speech quickening with excitement: "Among them, forty-three potential clients have clearly expressed their intention to engage in further contact, sample testing, or cooperation!"

"Among these, twelve companies, including Keelung Corporation, can be classified as Category A key targets for follow-up! Twenty-two media outlets have proactively invited us for interviews, covering mainstream industry media and some financial and technology media!"

"In addition, over twenty material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, potential distributors, and investment institutions like Mingxin Capital have expressed clear intentions to cooperate!"

Gu Qiushi joined in, his eyes shining despite his exhaustion: "They raised many very insightful technical questions, and even pointed out several optimization directions we hadn't noticed before. We've learned so much!"

Wang Qiming carefully turned off the power to the demo unit and made a final check.

He straightened up, stretched his stiff back and neck, making a slight clicking sound, and let out a long sigh: "The machine did a great job, it held up for three days of high-intensity demonstrations without breaking down. It's just—this person really can't take it anymore."

But it was worth it!

Looking at the faces of his team members, who were exhausted but full of energy, Jiang Haoran felt a strong sense of accomplishment and warmth.

The pressure, the response, and the battle over these three days were worthwhile.

"Everyone—" His voice was hoarse, but every word was clear and powerful, carrying undeniable sincerity and praise, "You've all worked hard. We—fought a beautiful battle, a victory that far exceeded our expectations."

Yes, it was a success. This first public appearance on the industry's highest stage yielded results far exceeding initial expectations.

Not only did it successfully imprint the technical strength and cost advantages of "Kirin-1" in the minds of many professional viewers in the most intuitive and credible way, but it also won considerable attention and initial recognition within the industry, unlocking substantial market opportunities from trial use to large-scale procurement.

They even unexpectedly received public endorsement and order intentions from Keelung Corporation, a highly influential industry "benchmark customer".

Brand awareness, from obscurity to emerging recognition, has taken the most crucial and solid step from zero to one.

More importantly, the team has undergone this high-pressure baptism, and its cohesion, fighting spirit, and self-confidence have all been significantly improved.

As the closing music played, exhibitors and visitors began to leave. The exhibition hall, which had been bustling for three days, gradually quieted down.

Jiang Haoran took one last look around at the "battlefield" where they had fought for seventy-two hours.

The deep blue and silver-white color scheme remains austere. The screen has gone dark, the prototype has stopped operating, and only a few scattered fragments of documents on the floor bear witness to its past popularity.

"Let's pack up," Jiang Haoran clapped his hands, his voice soft but making all the team members look up. He wore the most relaxed and warmest smile he'd had in three days, announcing, "Tonight, it's my treat. You can choose the place, order whatever you like, and the drinks—just a little. Let's relax and celebrate!"

"Long live General Jiang!" The young operator, Xiao Li, was the first to jump up and cheer, while Gu Qiushi and Wang Qiming also showed relieved smiles.

As they carefully locked up their booths, packed up all the materials, samples, and equipment, and dragged their heavy yet unusually light steps away from Hall W3 with the sparse crowd, behind them lay the chaotic scene of countless exhibitors busily dismantling their equipment.

But every member of the Kirin Technology team felt more fulfilled and satisfied than ever before.

What they took away was far more than just those several large boxes of thick business card albums, filled registration books, and their exhausted bodies.

It is also a weighty confidence in the market, a much clearer path to the future, and a shared, brilliant "debut" memory.

As night falls, Shanghai's neon lights shine like a sea of ​​stars.

The exhibition chapter belonging to Kirin Technology has come to a perfect end, far exceeding everyone's expectations.

A new journey began the moment the exhibition came to a close.